Germany is an incredible Western European gem filled with historic towns, rivers and mountains that offers something exciting year round – from beer drinking at Oktoberfest to hiking through the Alps!
As spring begins, explore Lubeck’s medieval old town and sample some of their delicious marzipan (with edible fruit or vegetable designs!). Next stop should be Holocaust Memorial.
1. Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen offers breathtaking Alpine views that will take your breath away, perfect for hiking, skiing and riding cable cars to mountain tops. Also nearby are wonderful museums like Werdenfels Heimatmuseum and Sebastianskirche which provide insight into local history through fresco paintings and artifacts.
One of the best activities to do in Garmisch-Partenkirchen is stroll through its charming streets, lined with traditional German homes and ornate structures that create a picturesque strolling experience.
Visit the Partnachklamm, better known as Partnach Gorge for an incredible adventure. Watch as water flows past rocks over time, carving through them like it were nothing.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen offers some wonderful hiking options, with the Katzenstein-Kochelberg Loop trail being one of the best choices. This moderate hike takes you through pine forests and meadows before ending at a glacial lake, offering some of Germany’s best hiking without needing technical climbing skills. Additionally, there’s the AlpspiX skywalk that provides incredible panoramic views.
2. Rudesheim am Rhein
Rudesheim am Rhein in Germany is well known for lifting visitors’ spirits and inspiring them to smile, with spectacular hiking trails, profound spiritual places, romantic cruises on the Rhine River, exquisite wines and much more on offer here. You’ll find it nestled within a gorgeous valley adorned with impressive castles that add even more visual interest.
The Abbey of Saint Hildegard is an exquisite Romanesque structure found amidst vineyards. Featuring impressive frescoes that are an absolute feast for the eyes, it houses both its patron Saint’s relics as well as nuns who live by Saint Benedict’s rules and visitors can explore its stunning sculptural park with breathtaking views of Middle Rhine Valley.
One of the must-do activities in Rudesheim is taking a wine tour through Bromserburg Castle, with over 2000 wine-related items displayed throughout ancient halls. Also worth seeing is Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet which showcases 350 self-playing musical instruments ranging from tiny music boxes to an orchestrion!
The Niederwald Monument, with views of both town and river, is another landmark popular for photos. Built between 1877-1883 to mark the re-establishment of German Empire, you can reach it using either cable car from Oberstrasse or walking along its vineyard paths.
3. Cologne
Cologne offers many exciting travel activities for visitors to enjoy, such as sightseeing and hiking. Don’t forget to stroll along the Rhine River – Cologne’s most visible landmark – where you can admire riverfront buildings as well as impressive architecture like City Hall tower.
Attractions on the riverside should also include the Chocolate Museum. Hop-on hop-off boat tours offer stops here for an engaging, sweet experience and can provide insight into its history, as well as some interesting trivia about chocolate! You will gain knowledge on all aspects of its production as well as its uses throughout time.
This modern museum is one of the area’s top attractions due to its impressive art collection. Exhibits are organized chronologically and feature furniture, weapons, jewellery, puppets, porcelain tapestries and tapestries from 1700s and 1800s period pieces; as well as more recent industrial design examples by Frank Lloyd Wright and Philippe Starck – including an 18th-century chinoiserie cabinet!
Cologne’s Roman warehouse is one of the top travel activities available, providing insights into how one of its signature products was manufactured by perfumer Johann Maria Farina during Rococo period and earning its city its name. You’ll see cedar barrels that have lasted 300 years preserved as part of this tour experience as well as copper stills and laboratory equipment.
4. Dresden
Sightseeing in Dresden is an integral part of its history, so don’t miss the opportunity to tour its iconic landmarks like Zwinger or Dresden Cathedral with an expert tour guide and discover more of this vibrant city’s rich past.
Take a river cruise for a different perspective of Dresden city life, passing many of its landmarks including the Dresden Porcelain Collection which features over 20,000 porcelain artifacts spanning several thousand years of European craftsmanship.
Discover Bruhlsche Terrasse, an attractive former rampart offering scenic views. Home of Europe’s largest treasure collection containing exquisite artworks, gilded silver statuettes and other precious objects, it also houses its magnificent Green Vault gallery.
Musical travelers should visit Semperoper Dresden, an opera house offering ballet and theatre performances throughout the year. Other cultural activities include visiting porcelain museum or strolling along Drosselgasse alley lined with restaurants and markets.
Attractions to visit in Berlin include the iconic Blue Wonder Bridge. A favorite among tourists, this steel suspension bridge serves as an iconic symbol for the city while offering stunning reflections in the Elbe. Furthermore, Albertinum houses an extensive sculpture collection spanning five millennia.
5. Trier
Trier is one of Germany’s oldest cities and home to nine UNESCO World Heritage sites. Visitors are drawn here by its Roman monuments, Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals and rococo palaces – which have attracted visitors for millennia. Furthermore, Trier boasts its own wine region so don’t miss the opportunity to sample local Moselle wines such as Riesling.
Walking to experience Trier is the ideal way to explore. Beginning from its majestic Porta Nigra entrance, follow a natural route into town center until reaching Hauptmarkt market square with its ornate fountain – perfect for photos – and plenty of seating areas or places for lunch breaks.
Trier’s ancient bathing complex is another must-see attraction. Recently reopened as an archaeological site, this monumental four-hectare structure once covered four hectares – making it the largest complex of its type within Roman empire. Metal stairways and footbridges will take you over excavated pools and through archways; all you have to do is hop from metal bridge to metal bridge!
The Rheinisches Landesmuseum is an internationally acclaimed archaeological museum featuring an expansive collection of artifacts dating from prehistory through Roman period and Middle Ages to Baroque periods, featuring world’s biggest gold coin hoard, vibrant Roman mosaics and impressive burial monuments.
6. Nuremberg
Nuremberg, one of Germany’s most captivating and fascinating cities, should be on every history buff’s itinerary. Not only can you learn more about Nazi Germany here; Nuremberg offers plenty of other travel activities too such as sightseeing, hiking, biking and much more!
Top attractions in Heidelberg include the Albrecht Durer House, where 15th century artist Albrecht Durer lived and died, and the Toy Museum with its extensive collection of toys from antiquity to modernity spanning millennia; both can also boast large model railways that operate hourly during summer months – one even boasts its own operating model railway!
Old Town attractions of Bremen include Frauentorturm (Women’s Tower), an ancient defensive tower. Additionally, Marriage Ring Fountain – with its iconic line formed around it to turn a ring said to grant wishes – and Frauentorturm are two other noteworthy buildings that stand out.
Visit the Mittelalterliche Lochgefangnisse for an intense underground experience, where visitors can explore 12 cells and torture chambers from Nuremberg’s Nazi Trials that continue to shape international law today. Or for something lighter, take a stroll over to Liebesinse Island nearby – bring along a book, relax, and take in the view.
7. Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen sits at the base of Bavaria’s Alps and boasts numerous hiking trails through pine forests, meadows and glacial lakes. One popular walk is the 5.6-kilometer Philosophers’ Trail (Philosophenweg), an easy stroll with panoramic views and benches to contemplate famous philosophers’ words inscribed along its length.
For an more challenging trek, visit Zugspitze for an ascent up Europe’s highest mountain. Here, you can admire stunning panoramic views from its summit which overlooks three distinct mountain ranges including Wetterstein Alps and Bavarian Pre-Alps.
Take the cogwheel train over to Eibsee, for breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks and mountains. Walk around its lakeshore or visit its old bobsled track, or buy a ticket that includes both rides – one on the cogwheel train as well as Eibsee cable car!
No matter the traveler, Germany promises an unforgettable experience for every kind of visitor. Be sure to pack a bathing suit, and be sure that any sunscreen contains no oxybenzone — an often toxic chemical found in many brands of sun lotion.
